You Promised Me a Duel
by Charissa Eden
Summary: [Deathly Hallows Spoilers] A young witch reflects on everything that he meant to her.


**Author's Note:** DH SPOILERS!!!!

I was extremely depressed by Mad Eye's death in DH. His death hurt me more than any other, oddly enough. Mix those feelings with the fact that I found an awesome tribute video and the fact that i've been extremely bored and you get this.

**Disclaimer:** Obviously, everything you recognize is JK's and whoever else has part of the rights...not mine.

"_You promised! You promised you'd duel me, Mad-Eye!" I shouted as I followed the old Auror into my parents' house. "You promised me a duel when I finished Hogwarts!" I was seventeen fresh out of Hogwarts from the class of 1990. My dearest ambition was to be an Auror and follow in my father's footsteps, as well as Mad-Eye's. It had been for years, since I first met the old Auror. It was also around that time, maybe a few years after that I made the older gentlemen promise he'd duel me when I graduated from Hogwarts and now that I had finished school, I was adamant in getting just that. I had no other reason for this other than wanting to test my skill. _

_I followed behind the older man who was chuckling at what he called my youthful eagerness. After informing me that I'd more than likely lose he stumped into the kitchen where my father was reading the morning's paper. My father, Augustin, had been a colleague of Mad-Eye for sometime before he retired-yes, he was that old. After more shouting from me, my father gave me that look that said shut up. "But-!" I was determined to get what I want. Old or not, Alastor Moody was one of the best wizards and definitely the best Auror. _

"_I did promise ya, Anna, but I never said when after you graduated Hogwarts. You'll get your duel when you're ready." Mad-Eye said, much to my dismay. The old man had a point. Loopholes. Damn. I opened my mouth to retaliate only to have myself silenced by my father, who had only somewhat come to expect my more than odd behavior whenever the ex-Auror was around. Everyone expected it these days._

"_Anna, leave Alastor alone. Why don't you go study? You've only got about three months before your Auror training starts. Go prepare." Maybe he did have a point, but I wasn't too worried about it. I had graduated in the top of my class and if Professor Snape hadn't hated me so much it would've been the top. I rolled my eyes as I ignored my father's suggestion and sat down at the table. For the most part my eyes stayed glued on the man seated across from my father as they talked._

It was funny that I'd remember that particular day now. It had been so long ago-seven years to be exact. I was no longer that over enthusiastic teenager. It'd been three years since I qualified for an Auror position in the Ministry and three years since the return of You-Know-Who. It had been Mad-Eye who brought me to my first Order meeting. Despite the protests of my parents I joined the Order of the Phoenix-risking everything on the words of Harry Potter, but that wasn't why I'd gone. I'd gone because the man I admired my entire life trusted Dumbledore and Potter.

Thinking all of this was just a way to block out what was happening in the present, though. I didn't want to hear what the man before me was saying. He was lying, that was what was happening. He was probably a Death Eater in disguise trying to fool me into letting my guard down and putting my wand down. That wasn't going to happen though. I held my wand tightly pointing at the man before me, not even man-a liar. What he was saying was impossible. It was just not possible.

"_Dad who's house is this?" I whined after we reappeared in front of house I'd never seen before. I was still woozy from the side along apparating. I never liked that. I was ten years old and had not yet begun Hogwarts. I still had that youthful innocence to me. I was wearing muggle clothing-jeans and a tee shirt with my light blonde hair tied into a braid behind my head. My father had told me that he were visiting a man he deeply respected, but he wouldn't tell me who. I figured it was someone from the Ministry. I had no idea that that day was a turning point in my life. _

_He banged on the door and it opened with a creak, revealing one of the strangest men I'd ever seen. My dark brown eyes widened as I took in his appearance. I was only ten and my ability to be discreet was not yet honed. The guy had a peg leg and a large, electric blue eye it wasn't like anyone else would've not stared. Those were just two traits though, he was missing half his nose and his face was scarred horribly as well. The man looked at my father with his normal eye, but his blue eye stayed on me. After a moment he grinned-or what I thought was a grin. "Augustin! Come in! Come in!" the man said ushering my father and I into his home with scarred hand. "This must be little Anna!"_

_It was messy to say the least. I knew that if I ever let my room get that messy my mother would kill me. His whole house was like that too! He and my father talked, I found out his name was Alastor Moody, commonly known as Mad-Eye for obvious reasons. He was an Auror, one of the best my father said. I had asked him how many bad wizards he'd caught. My father said most of the cells in Azkaban were full because of him. _

After that first meeting, I remember, I had begged my father to take me back to Mad-Eye's house so I could hear more stories. My father skated over the truth when he told me stories of the wizards he caught, but this Mad-Eye fellow told me everything. It was all I could do not to explode from excitement whenever we went to visit the aging man. I was fifteen when my mother had gone on one of the visits. She complained of the mess in his house and my father said it wasn't his fault. I had asked why and my father responded with the simple statement that it was because it didn't have a woman's touch.

I was still ignoring my surroundings. It wasn't true. My father was shaking me by the shoulders and I was gripping his wrists, apparently shouting and crying. I didn't hear anything, because what everyone was saying was a lie.

_I was sixteen and realizing for the first time my deep infatuation with Mad-Eye. It didn't matter that he was 'much too old' or 'delusional'. I realized what others would say about me if anyone found out that I had a silly crush on Mad-Eye Moody. It was logical, I reasoned to myself, he was everything that I admired-strong, successful…everything. I often found myself repeating the words of my mother about how he needed a woman's touch. I don't know if anyone ever realized it, I think my father did. He never commented on it though. My mother hated that I was idolizing the ex-Auror, I think. _

"Anna! Anna!" my father shouted at me, shaking me vigorously. My dark eyes were staring straight into his. "Alastor's dead. He's dead. Kingsley is not lying. He's dead."

"No…Dad, he can't be. He just can't be." I muttered, feeling for the first time the tears had had stained my cheeks and were continuing to do so. "No…Mad-Eye can't be dead. He just can't be."

He couldn't be. No. He couldn't be dead. He still owed me that duel and he would never go back on his word. Mad-Eye never did that. He always kept his promises. One look around and I knew it was true-accepted that it was true. My mother was crying and my father looked close to. Kingsley never lied either.

"Damn it, Mad-Eye. You promised me." I muttered to myself, "You promised me that duel."


End file.
